Diana Kennedy is the doyenne of Mexican cooking. Writing at the same time as Julia Child, her task was more difficult as Mexican food was largely unknown at the time. Her work has been tireless and prodigious. My Mexico takes her into a personal realm, one in which she wanders about the country she loves, meeting people, coercing recipes out of local cooks, and enjoying the very air of Mexico. She has taken as her eternal project to record not only the wealth of Mexican culinary knowledge and folklore but also the fascinating stories behind it all.
My Mexico records Diana's recent wanderings, along with memories stored away from previous trips. Diana tells the story behind her discovery of each dish, from the Pollo Almendrado (Chicken in Almond Sauce) she discovered in Oaxaca to the Estafado de Raya (Skate Stewed in Olive Oil) that delighted her in Coahuila. Yes, there are some fairly simple recipes for inexperienced cooks--look for the new guacamoles and the addictive chilatas. More complicated ones are for aficionados who know the intricacies of the ingredients.
Times have changed greatly since Diana published her first book. More and more ingredients are available in the U.S., and more and more people have learned of the true joys of real Mexican cooking. One thing has not changed--Diana Kennedy's passion. For those who already are familiar with her work, this volume is a much-needed addition to your library. For those who are not, you are taking the first step of a journey of your own.
Kennedy tells us, "I would hope that future generations of Mexican Americans will read My Mexico and be able to picture where their families came from and the food they ate, and imagine the sort of land that produced some of those aromatic herbs and wild greens that I talk about. A few years ago I was doing some articles for a magazine called Mexico Ensconced (Unknown Mexico) in a series called La Receta Rescatada--The Rescued Recipe. I wanted to incorporate them because they form a fascinating part of what I call the "hidden gastronomy of Mexico" which includes many of the free foods found in the wild: how they are gathered and cooked. I feel strongly that this heritage should be recorded since its survival will be linked to sustainable agricultural practices and the conservation of the environment."
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